Cyient Blog

In 2003, when Cyient started its engagement with Bombardier Transportation, little did I know that 15 years later I would still be deeply involved with the Bombardier Transportation center of excellence at Cyient, working closely with one of the world’s leading rail company. It has been an incredible journey—what started out as a six-member team, today, constitutes a 1,200-person strong center of excellence at Hyderabad delivering innovative, customer-centric solutions to Bombardier. When I think back on all the work we have delivered over the years, some key projects stand out—for their complexity, the challenge they posed, and the value they…

At the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security. – Jodi Rell, former Governor of Connecticut Safety has been one of the biggest concerns in the railways-a no-brainer given that more than 500 major and minor rail accidents have occurred across the world in the past ten years alone. Despite constructive and comprehensive measures to reduce mishaps, news of deadly rail accidents continues to be splashed across front pages of global newspapers. The question that rail operators and OEMs must ask is: what can be done to move toward a future of zero accidents? One of…

With the growth of advanced technology in high-speed trains, automated signaling systems, and a heightened focus on safety and cost optimization, the need for standardization in the railway sector has become more critical than ever. In my previous blog on this topic, I had touched upon the key benefits of technical documentation, the impact that a lack of structured and well-defined process could have on the rail industry, and the steps that could be taken to standardize the technical documentation. Based on my experience of over 30 years in the aerospace and rail industry, I can safely say that there…

In rolling stock projects, often there is a lack of consensus among major stakeholders about the structure, format, and content of technical documents related to train operations, maintenance, spare parts and training manuals. Even in quintessential metro or high-speed rail projects from the best-in-class railways and transport agencies, lack of clarity in requirements for technical documents is commonly seen, despite its vital importance. In some cases, requirements are specified but are vague and open to interpretation for people involved in the value chain, namely train builder, subsystem suppliers, and ultimately the technical authors and illustrators responsible for the creation of…

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most talked about IT trends, and many have compared its impact to the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th century. While this may sound like an exaggerated analogy, there is no denying that IoT has the potential to reinvent verticals such as manufacturing, retail, and transportation to name a few. The rail industry has been one of the early adopters of this emerging technology. Attributes of IoT are incorporated into modern trains that have multiple control units to manage technology systems while communicating with each other. The focus, however, has primarily…

As the Internet of Things (IoT) gets more pervasive, industrial engineers are looking at new possibilities on how the technology can be leveraged for greater business impact. The rail industry is in a position where it can exploit the potential of industrial IoT and evolve without substantially increasing its investments in infrastructure. We look at five ways in which IoT can and has started redefining the railways bringing in increased efficiency and enhanced passenger experience: 1. Greater Reliability and Safety A train that suddenly breaks down on the track can ruin the day of its passengers, lead to delays across…